Samuel Benton

Samuel Benton (18 October 1820-28 July 1864) was a Brigadier-General of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Biography
Samuel Benton was born in Williamson County, Tennessee in 1820, and he became a lawyer in Holly Springs, Mississippi and a newspaper editor. Benton was a member of the "old line" and states' rights faction of the US Whig Party, becoming a member of the state legislature in 1852, and he attended the secession convention in 1861. He served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, leading the 9th Mississippi in Earl Van Dorn's Army of the West. Benton was commended for his service at Shiloh in 1862, and he took command of the 34th Mississippi in Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee. He was wounded at Perryville, causing him to miss the Battle of Chickamauga, and he returned to command in time for the fighting at Chattanooga. Benton was given command of a brigade during the Atlanta Campaign, and his brigade suffered extremely heavy artillery fire losses at Resaca. On 22 July 1864, he was wounded in the chest and right foot by an artillery shell fragment at the Battle of Atlanta, and he died after his leg was amputated.